


an epilogue before were done

by cherryraindrops



Category: 5 Seconds of Summer (Band)
Genre: Alcohol Abuse, M/M, Wedding Planner AU, emotional cheating, mostly minor but still tagging, yeah that's a tag and a thing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-14
Updated: 2016-02-14
Packaged: 2018-05-20 09:16:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 22,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6000433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryraindrops/pseuds/cherryraindrops
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Luke Hemmings was known to plan the greatest weddings out there, practically the best wedding planner in all of Los Angeles. There wasn't a single wedding he couldn't pull off without a hitch.</p><p>That is, until, he's tasked with planning his ex-boyfriends wedding.</p>
            </blockquote>





	an epilogue before were done

**Author's Note:**

  * For [dafeedil](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dafeedil/gifts).



> Holy shit this thing has been a monster. I started this nearly a month ago it seems, mostly with the idea of Luke and Ashton coming back together after being broken up for so long. It then spiraled into this, and holy crap I am so, so proud of it. Consider this a Valentine's Day present for all of you, because that was the deadline I set for myself and also, I love you guys!!
> 
> Dedicated to Angie, the Calum to my Michael. She's listened to me ramble on and on about this fic, given me some tips when I was stuck, and overall was my muse the entire writing process. Thank you dear, I hope you love the finished product <3
> 
> [8tracks](http://8tracks.com/lucasashtons/an-epilogue-before-we-re-done)

“I don’t think I can do this Luke.”

Luke had been preparing himself for those eight words the entire morning, and it had honestly taken him by surprise that Michael had taken so long to utter them. He knows Michael doesn’t mean them, of course, a simple case of the nerves getting to him last minute. Luke is pretty sure that Michael Clifford is the most confident person he has ever met, knows that something as simple as this cannot shake that.

“I think you can,” Luke says reassuringly, brushing off the shoulders of Michael’s tux. His hair is a little out of place, the freshly dyed light brown sticking out in some angles. Luke takes the comb off of the vanity in Michael’s little dressing room to tame them. “Once you leave this room and head towards the altar, I can promise you that all of your fears are going to _vanish.”_

Michael shakes his eyes, his normally sparkling emerald eyes now filled with seemingly unshakeable nerves. “There is a pretty good chance I am going to vomit all over the floor the minute those doors open, Luke.” He sighs, rubbing his hands together. “Yup, I can feel it rising already.”

The words make Luke chuckle, knowing his best friend was being incredibly ridiculous. “I can promise you right now that emptying your stomach outside of the doors will not happen. Need I remind you this is not the first time I’ve had to calm the nerves of an eager groom. I’ve heard all the stories, you are going to be your charming and confident self.” He taps Michael’s arms, smiling at his best friend. “Besides, even if you did end up puking all over Calum would _still_ think the sun shined out of your ass.”

It would have taken a miracle for Michael not to smile at the mention of his fiancé, and the minute his lips quirk up in the corners Luke knows he has won. “I love him so much Luke, I just want everything to go perfectly, just for him.”

Luke scoffs, holding a hand to his chest in mock offense. “Pardon you, but I’ll have you know that all of my weddings go off without a hitch thank you very much.” It seems to break the remaining tension in Michael’s body, the man looking more relaxed than he has been the entire morning. “Now, we need to get out there before I have Ashley calling me threatening my life.”

Michael nods, letting out a gust of breath before closing his eyes and clenching his fists. “Fuck, what if Calum isn’t there when we get there? Maybe he’s already ran off with some guy he saw outside because he was more attractive. Knowing my luck, the guy is probably blowing Calum in his car – “

Okay, so Luke is more than tempted to slap Michael at the moment. Of course he won’t do that, Michael was his best friend and did not need a red hand mark on the side of his face. Yet, the man was being incredibly ridiculous regarding his fiancé, and Luke was about to lose it. “Mikey, you need to listen to me okay? I have worked with over, what, a hundred couples? Now, working with that many couples I have picked up on quite a few things. Some of the couples it’s more than obvious that they will not be working out a year from now, some are soulmates. You and Calum? I’ve known the two of you since we were in diapers. You two were made for each other.”

Michael smiles, a bit of blush on his cheeks. “He is my other half, isn’t he?”

“Always has been,” Luke says. As the words leave his mouth, he can hear the sound of the organ beginning the wedding march. “Looks like that’s our cue, think you can walk without passing out from nerves?” It’s meant to be a joke, but he hopes Michael doesn’t take him seriously on that. The last thing Luke needs is an unconscious groom.

Michael nods, and the two of them finally leave the dressing room, heading down the hall. They can see the entire wedding party, aside from Calum’s groomsmen, awaiting their arrival, and Luke swears he can see Ashley whispering ‘fucking _finally’_ under her breath. Luke silently agrees with her as he takes his spot in line with the others, taking a deep breath before the doors open.

With a quick adjustment to the light blue tie around his neck, Luke can’t help but think that this wedding was going to be absolutely perfect.

His weddings always were.

*

Luke is sitting at the patio, watching over the reception when Ashley walks over to him with a bottle of beer. He’s earned one, that was for certain. Plus, this particular wedding stressed him out more than others, wanting it to be perfect for his best friend. The wedding planner, not to mention the best man, deserved to have a little fun too.

“I think you have earned this,” Ashley tells him, handing him the bottle before taking a seat across from him. She is nursing her own bottle, thumb running itself over the condensation as she waits for Luke to take a drink. “Michael was a huge bundle of nerves before the wedding I noticed. Not exactly surprised, of course, I knew you could handle it.”

Luke smiles at his assistant, taking another drink of his beer before turning his attention back to the dance floor. He can see his friends in the middle of it all, drunkenly falling over each other as they smack kisses against each other’s cheeks as they dance. They are in love, lost in each other, a feeling Luke used to know all too well. It warms his heart to know his best friends have someone to spend the rest of their lives with.

Ashley must notice his fond looks, because her attention has centered towards the dance floor as well. She’s smiling at the dancing guests, each with drinks in their hands or their partner in their arms. “You did a really good job with this one Luke,” she says earnestly, eyes never leaving the dance floor. “I’m pretty sure this is the best wedding you’ve done to date. Almost makes me wonder how you are going to top this.”

Luke never really thought of his weddings being a competition. Sure, he tried to improve after every wedding, see if trying a few things would please his clients, but there was never a moment that it occurred to him that one wedding was better than another. As long as the couple thought the venue and the details were perfect, he didn’t give it much thought. All he wanted was to make his clients happy and satisfied with the finished product.

They drink a few more beers, chatting casually about the wedding, before Ashley brings up what Luke calls the ‘forbidden topic’. It had been something she asked on her first day as his assistant, and he had told her that day that she was no allowed to ask it again. Of course, Ashley was a stubborn woman who never seemed to let anything drop, so of course it was going to pop up in a conversation sooner or later.

“You need to get married,” she says, but her voice is a little slurred, proof that she’s had too many drinks. “Your wedding would be the most beautiful thing, and you could plan it yourself! If anything went wrong you wouldn’t have to worry about firing anyone, because it would be your fault!” She laughs a little at her final words, making her miss the sadness that has struck Luke’s face.

There was a reason Luke never wanted to discuss his single status, a very good reason in fact. Ashley knew of it too, but Luke didn’t want to blame her for bringing it up tonight. She’s had a few drinks; she couldn’t control her words at the moment. Luke wasn’t going to hold it against her. “You know why I don’t date Ashley.” He says sternly, placing his now empty bottle down on the floor. The girl is still laughing drunkenly, but Luke is sure she’ll be fine on her own. “I’m going to check on the grooms.”

He doesn’t check on the grooms. Instead, he calls for a taxi and heads towards his apartment, texting both Michael and Calum that he’s sorry for jetting out so soon but something came up. It’s only when he gets to his apartment that he finally allows himself to break down in tears.

It’s ridiculous, really, that Ashley’s words got to him so easily. Normally they just make him uncomfortable and eager to change the subject, get attention off of him, but tonight had a different result. Maybe it was the wedding surrounding him, or the alcohol making him more emotional, but tonight he didn’t need the cruel reminder of how he was alone.

Luke stumbles towards the kitchen, searching for the bottle of vodka he’s stashed away for nights like this. He’s never been quite fond of the way the drink tastes, but right now he can’t bring himself to care as he tosses the bottle back, dribbling a little on his expensive tie. The alcohol burns in his throat, but it’s almost like a wake-up call for him. The burning reminds him that he’s still living, he isn’t just a hollow being that he continues to believe he is.

As he stumbles towards his bedroom, his phone shines with a text message from Ashley. It’s an apology, so she must have sobered up a little, and an explanation that she cleaned up for him at the wedding and she’ll see him tomorrow at work. Luke smile slightly, but Ashley’s words are still clinging to him.

It’s not that Luke hasn’t had a few suitors over the past few years; he’s had a handful. There was always something flawed in each one though, and in the end it was Luke that received the worst of it. Colton fancied traveling the world to staying stuck with Luke. There was Casey, who only dated Luke to figure out if he really was gay. Various flings here and there, but Luke couldn’t bring himself to commit to one person.

Of course, there was one person in particular that he wishes he could have held on to, but that had been years ago. Luke was nearing his thirties; he didn’t have time to pine over a lost love from his past. Wiping the remaining tears from his eyes he heads towards his bedroom, shedding himself of his tuxedo and crawling into bed.

He falls asleep almost instantly.

*

The next morning makes Luke grateful he only has two appointments. His head, despite the Advil he took before arriving, is making him look in agony as he stumbles into his office. Ashley looks up at him from her own desk, looking completely healthy with a lack of a hangover. She offers him a sympathetic glance though, a tiny wave his way as he walks towards his office.

Taking a seat behind his desk, he pulls out a water bottle from his mini fridge before taking a long, hard drink. The coolness of the water helps a little, shocking his system a bit and making him a little more aware. He looks down at his appointment book before there is a knock on his door, alerting him to Ashley’s appearance at his door.

“Your first appointment of the day is here,” she says, clicking her nails against the hardwood of the door. “Are you feeling well enough to take her or do you want me to ask if she can reschedule?”

Luke has never had to reschedule an appointment before, and he certainly does not plan to start such a thing now. He shakes his head slowly at his assistant before waving his hand towards him, beckoning whomever was his scheduled appointment to come in. Ashley gives him a short nod before leaving the room, the door closing with a gentle click.

Who arrives next is a small woman, with long blonde hair and a kind smile on her face. Her skin is tan, sun kissed almost, and Luke wonders if the woman happens to have a career in modeling. Her figure seems to tell him so.

“Sorry if this is a bad time,” the woman says, placing her purse down at her feet as she takes a seat in the chair in front of Luke’s desk. “Your assistant was telling me that the two of you had attended a friend’s wedding the night before and you were likely to still be feeling the effects of it. I hope I’m not being a bother.”

Luke makes a mental note to chastise his assistant later about revealing such things to clients before shaking his head, letting out a small chuckle with it. “I can promise you that you are not.” He places his appointment book away back in his desk before leaning forward, making eye contact with his new client. “Now tell me about this wedding of yours, give me an idea of what you’d like it to be.”

The woman smiles, pulling a folder out of her purse and handing it to Luke. “We already have a few things picked out, my fiancé and I, but our last wedding planner cancelled on us before we could even discuss a thing. I was told to come to you from a friend of mine. She said that you could save our wedding and make it something we could remember.” She looks a little sad as she says those words, Luke noticing a glimmer of hope slowly diminishing in her eyes. He wonders just how desperate she is for help, how panicked she must be.

“Well fear not, that is what I am here for,” Luke gives her a grin before opening up the folder, glancing at what is available for him. “Alright, it seems you and your fiancé are thinking of a beach theme, am I correct Ms.?” He glances up, already disappointed in himself for forgetting to introduce himself.

“Oh! How rude of me,” the woman says, holding her hand out. “Holly, Bryana. I’m sorry it’s just me today, I want it to be a surprise for my fiancé that I’ve hired you. I can promise you that he’ll be at our next appointment though, so you can meet him then.”

It’s not uncommon that the fiancé never comes with the bride, so Luke isn’t exactly surprised. Normally the men seem to stay out of the planning business until it’s about music and their tuxedo fittings. Luke was used to planning with just the brides, unless it was a gay wedding.

“Do you mind if I see a picture of you and your fiancé?” Luke asks her, looking up from the folder. “It might help me get an idea of how the two of you are, help me with how I’m planning everything. It also gives me an idea of how you feel about him, and we can help place your feelings for each other into the planning process.”

Bryana seems delighted by Luke’s idea, nodding as she pulls her cell phone out of her purse. It takes less than a minute for her to find a photo before she’s handing her phone to Luke to see. “This was taken a few weeks ago at a beach party my friends were hosting for our engagement. If you haven’t already noticed, we love the beach, It’s where we met actually!”

Luke grins, taking the phone and getting a look at the photo. Both of them are smiling big, Bryana’s smile happy and filled with love as she gazes up at her fiancé with so much love. When Luke glances at her fiancé, his heart nearly stops in his chest.

He recognizes those dimples, the bright smile that could cheer up the saddest of people. There was a time it was directed to Luke, a time where that smile was pressed against Luke’s lips as they shared kisses in bed the mornings Luke didn’t want to attend class, just so he could have a few more moments with him.

The fiancé is the reason Luke couldn’t bring himself to commit anymore.

“Is everything alright Mr. Hemmings?” Bryana asks him, her voice laced with concern. Luke manages to shake his head at her, handing back her phone before pasting a fake smile on his face.

“Everything is alright,” he tells her, and he actually manages to sound convincing with his words. “Your fiancé just reminds me of someone I used to know some little ways back, brought back some memories is all. Now, how long have the two of you been together?”

A fond smile returns to Bryana’s face at the question, and Luke wonders if that was how he looked whenever someone asked him that question long ago. “Three years? Ashton started working as a lifeguard down at the beach, I was a girl who thought she could surf but didn’t realize how much balance was really needed to do such a thing.” She chuckles as she thinks back to the memory, and it makes Luke’s heart ache. He remembers how Ashton always talked about wanting to save lives, and he guesses that Ashton did reach that.

“What made the two of you decide to get married?”

Another fond smile. “Ashton proposed on our three-year anniversary. He told me that he felt like he’d known me his entire life, and that he wanted to have that feeling for the rest of it. I wasn’t going to tell him no, of course.”

Luke hates to be bitter, but he can’t help but feel sick at the entire story. The way they met, the way Ashton proposed to her sounds like it was ripped from the pages of some terrible romance novel mothers read at their book clubs. Luke wouldn’t be surprised if the fairy tale lasted less than six months, but of course he wasn’t going to voice that. This was him being cynical and jealous, jealous that he couldn’t have that with Ashton anymore. He lost his chance back when Ashton broke up with him. It was time for him to get over it and move on.

“Might I ask what your fiancé does for a living? Is he still a lifeguard?” Luke questions. He’s curious as to what Ashton has been up to the past ten years (fuck, _ten years_ ), but of course he couldn’t sound like he was desperate to know (even if he was).

“He stopped doing that a few months ago,” Bryana explains to him. “Now he works as an assistant at a record company his godfather owns. Sometimes he teaches classes to children on how to play instruments. Right now he’s tied up with a few things regarding his classes, but he’s promised me he’ll be finished by the end of tomorrow so he can help with the planning.” She laughs again. “Well, he thinks it will be just me and him planning.”

As if his heart couldn’t ache more for his ex, of course his fiancée had to bring up the fact that he taught children how to play. He could just picture him helping a little boy or girl play the piano, smash a drum kit to pieces. The more he thinks about it the more heartbroken it makes him, knowing that he could never experience Ashton having a child with him.

Whoa, he’s getting in too deep.

“It seems your fiancé is the musical type, not to mention the type that loves the ocean waves,” Luke takes out his notepad, clicking his pen a few times and writing down his words. “The two of you met at a beach, and from what you have told me both of you love everything about it. I love the theme you have brought me, as well as the colors and locations. Once your fiancé becomes available we can discuss where it will be and finalize colors.” He tears out the paper and hands it to Bryana, smiling. “I’ve deduced that the two of you should go with softer colors, maybe an acoustic band to fit your calm and relaxed personalities?”

Bryana gasps, hand over her heart. “That sounds absolutely perfect. You’ve already figured Ashton and I out better than the other wedding planner came _close_ to!”

 _Of course I did,_ Luke thinks to himself. _It’s part of my job._ “Before we settle things, though, I would like to speak to both you and your husband. While I do agree that the bride should have everything her heart desires on her special day, I would also love to hear the opinion of the groom, see if he has a viewpoint that could work as well.”

Bryana nods. “Of course! I’m sure Ashton has a lot of ideas buzzing around in that head of his.”

 _Always did._ “I think that will be all for today, Bryana. Let me know when you and your fiancé will both be available and we can start figuring out more things.” He hands her his business card, shaking her delicate hand. “It was very nice to meet you, and I’m very excited to make this a wedding you’ll never forget.”

Bryana laughs, light and lovely, before she unexpectedly hugs him. Luke doesn’t mind, after all she is just excited. “Thank you so much for helping me with this. God knows where I would be doing all of it on my own, or leaving it to Ashton.” She released her grip on Luke before waving goodbye, promising to call Luke tomorrow with her schedule.

It’s after Bryana leaves that Ashley appears, clearing her throat as she steps into the office. “I’ve never seen a bride leave your office with so much excitement. What on Earth did you say to that girl that could have made her so damn happy?”

Luke wishes he could tell her, but it’s that moment that he thinks it’s really dawned on him of what he’s dealing with. He’s planning the wedding of his high school sweetheart, his ex-boyfriend whom he hasn’t begun to stop thinking about after _ten fucking years._ Luke thinks he might be sick.

He needs to call Michael. Regardless that his best friend was currently on his honeymoon, probably miles away from his phone and celebrating married life with Calum, Luke was desperate. He needed his best friend to calm him down, needed to hear his best friend to tell him that his life wasn’t going to collapse because his ex was coming spiraling back into his life after all this time.

Luke needed to get out of there. His office was beginning to feel suffocating to him, and the feeling of nausea was not going away anytime soon. 

“Ashley, cancel my last appointment for today,” he tells his assistant, grabbing his cell phone and dialing Michael’s number. “Tell them that something came up and that I’ll have to reschedule.” He doesn’t bother to tell her anything else, instead grabbing his things and pushing past her on his way out the door.

When he dials Michael’s number, it goes straight to voicemail. Luke isn’t really surprised.

*

“Do you want me to go with you?”

It’s been a week since Luke discovered that he was planning his ex-boyfriend’s wedding. An entire week of acting like he wasn’t totally losing his mind over the fact that Ashton was going to be forced back into his life after ten years. He’s been lucky with avoiding his ex, only really planning things over the phone with Bryana, but it had been last night that his luck had run out when Bryana had called, telling him that Ashton was available for brunch and she wanted to surprise him with the news that she had finally found a wedding planner.

The fact that Bryana had omitted to tell her fiancé that she had hired a wedding planner, least of all his _ex,_ was what had Luke pacing in his office that morning while Ashley watched. Luke has run his hand through his hair so many times that it was a complete mess now, and if he didn’t stop sweating his white dress shirt was going to be soaked.

“I appreciate the offer, Ashley, but this is something I need to do on my own,” Luke tells her, though he would appreciate having someone there to hold him when he passes out the minute he sees Ashton again. That was inevitable. “Fuck, what if he doesn’t recognize me? Does that mean I am stressing out over nothing?”

Ashley rolls her eyes at him. “I think your name would be a dead giveaway, don’t you think?”

Letting out a groan, Luke grabs his cell phone off of his desk and tosses it to Ashley. “You call Bryana for me, tell her that I can’t meet with them today because,” he pauses, trying to think up an excuse that could sound valid. Pneumonia? Allergic Reaction? Coma? “Tell her that I was hit by a truck.” Ashley gives him a pointed look, and he sighs. “Fine, that’s dumb.”

“It’s going to be alright,” Ashley soothes him, adjusting his button up before placing her hands on his shoulders. “You are Luke Hemmings; the greatest wedding planner Los Angeles has to offer. Luke Hemmings doesn’t get nervous; he doesn’t back down when things get tough! Luke Hemmings stares down bridezillas and calms their nerves! Luke Hemmings gets his way when a groom tries to fuck things up last minute!” She gives him a little shake before releasing her grip, ruffling his hair. “I’ve seen you handle things far worse than this, you got this!”

Luke nods, a new found confidence flowing through him. “Yeah, you are right! I fucking got this!” Walking back to his desk, he grabs his bag and Bryana’s binders she’d left for him, kissing Ashley’s cheek before leaving the room. “I’ll see you in two hours!”

As he leaves, Ashley smirks to herself. “He’s fucked.” She whispers to herself, turning back to her desk. “Totally fucked.”

*

Bryana chose quite an upscale restaurant for them to meet at, one that managed to overlook the beach. There was a patio area that welcomed guests to the warmth of the California sunshine while they dined, but despite the sun blazing down on Luke, he managed to get chills. Then again, the chills were probably from the thought of seeing Ashton again after ten years.

He spots Bryana first, with her blonde hair up in a bun and her long, slender fingers wrapped around what Luke guessed was probably a mug of tea. She’s wearing a light, flowing dress that compliments her skin tone well, the beautiful white a nice contrast against her sun kissed skin. Luke made a mental note to make sure he keeps that in mind when they shop for wedding dresses, to find something that compliments her tanned skin.

Ashton doesn’t appear to be anywhere in sight, and Luke breathes a little easier.

“Luke!” she calls out, waving her hand to beckon him over. He gives her a welcoming grin, walking over towards the table and greeting her with a hug. “Ashton just went to the bathroom; he’ll be back here in a moment. Oh man, I’m so excited for him to meet you! I can just tell he’s going to love you!”

 _Your words, not mine._ Luke can’t help but think. “That’s the goal, isn’t it? Don’t know if I could handle working with a couple with the other half disliking me.” Bryana laughs, light and lovely, and Luke feels a little less tense. He picks up the menu, observing the various items on the menu and wondering which one sounds good. He’s never been to this place, but from the looks of it it’s definitely the perfect place for brunch.

Luke is far too focused on the menu in front of him to notice that another person has joined them, too busy reading what is included in this omelet he might order. It’s not until he hears a deep, manly voice say, “Sorry I took so long babe” that his stomach drops.

“It’s perfectly alright,” Bryana assures him, and Luke still hasn’t got it in him to move his eyes from the menu to the couple in front of him. He’s still preparing himself for what he’s even going to say, wondering what was gonna spill out of his mouth the minute he sees Ashton again for the first time in ten years. With his luck he’ll blurt out something stupid. “Our guest just barely arrived.”

He hears Ashton laugh, and fuck it sounds just as beautiful as it did ten years ago. It still sounds like a beautiful melody, one that Luke remembers wishing he could record and keep forever. It was the sound that Luke swears made him fall in love with Ashton more and more, and even ten years later it still contained the power to make Luke’s heart soar. “Does this mean you can finally tell me who this mystery guest is?”

“Yes!” Bryana squeals. Luke still remains hidden behind his menu. “Alright, so it’s not that I don’t think we are capable of planning this wedding all on our own, because we probably could! I just didn’t want to take our chances with that, so!” Luke assumes she’s taking Ashton’s hands right now, and it makes his heart pound even more. “I hired a wedding planner!”

“Bry, I don’t exactly know any wedding planners,” Ashton laughs, and _fuck,_ he needs to stop doing that. Luke’s heart can’t take it. “Are you sure a complete stranger could take a couple like us on? How much are they going to charge us?”

Luke cringes. He’s heard worse from past couples he’s worked with regarding his work ethic, but it kind of wounds him to think that Ashton believes Luke would screw them over. Then again, Luke is the one being all secretive and hiding behind a menu, refusing to reveal himself just yet. Ashton probably already believes that his fiancée hired a fucking weirdo.

“He wouldn’t do that,” Bryana assures him. “I made sure he was perfect for us before I hired him, okay? He’s been reviewed as _the_ best wedding planner in the entire Los Angeles area, and I can promise you that he’ll take good care of us and give us the best wedding. Isn’t that right Mr. Hemmings?”

Luke can hear choking from behind the menu, making him set it down and finally reveal his face. He comes to see a confused Bryana looking at her choking fiancé, who was holding a mug of coffee in his hand and banging his chest with the other.

 _Here we go._ Luke thinks, swallowing down his fears before he speaks up. “I can promise you that I won’t charge you a hefty price, but, of course, the depends on what exactly you are looking for in your wedding.” It’s a risk, but he reaches his hand forward and places it in front of Ashton, making the boy look up at him. “Are you alright?”

Luke can’t detect exactly what emotion is swirling in Ashton’s eyes the moment they make eye contact. They are still the gorgeous color Luke remembers, the dark, forest green that swirled ever so beautifully with the mocha brown. They held the sparkle Ashton always had, regardless of what emotion he currently wore on his face. After ten years, Ashton Irwin was still the most beautiful human Luke had the pleasure of looking at.

Ashton clears his throat, coughing a little bit more and tearing his eyes away from Luke’s. “I’m okay, I apologize for my choking.”

Bryana laughs at her fiancé’s words, obviously not realizing the new found tension between them. “Well, that was quite the first impression!”

_Yeah. First._

Luke laughs along with her, hoping to break the tension that was growing around them. Ashton doesn’t seem to catch on, though, as he clears his throat once more and focuses his eyes back on Luke. It’s then that Luke can finally catch what emotion Ashton was experiencing now, what was floating in his eyes. He had anticipated it to be surprise, shock even.

This look almost looked _fond._

“It’s nice to meet you,” Luke blurts out, holding his hand forward towards Ashton. “Bryana spoke highly of you at our first meeting, I’ve never seen someone speak with so much love behind their words, and I’ve been in this business for quite some time.” Okay, so maybe he’s exaggerating, but lying to himself and Ashton is what was keeping him from saying something stupid.

It works, Luke can see the blush on Bryana’s cheeks as he and Ashton shake hands. Ashton manages to snap out of his daze, smiling at the mention of his fiancée and wrapping an arm around her. “I’m happy to hear that,” Ashton grins, squeezing Bryana a little too tightly from what Luke can see. “I’m assuming she’s already told you how we met, correct?”

“Briefly,” Luke tells him as Bryana waves their waiter over. “She mentioned that the two of you met on the beach, back when you were a lifeguard. From those details we continued on about location, and Bryana mentioned wanting a beach wedding, which I find absolutely fantastic regarding both of your lifestyles.”

Ashton seems to agree with him, his face breaking out in a grin at the mention of the beach. “That does sound wonderful, taking it back to where we met.” He shakes his head. “Where Bryana and I met! I mean, we just met now so that wouldn’t make sense, yeah.” His face is a bright red now and Luke is pretty sure his is matching. He’s just thanking every God out there that Bryana hasn’t noticed the awkward conversation, focusing instead on her menu as the waiter finally reaches their table.

Luke is more than relieved by the sudden change of topic, rambling off his order to the young waiter before opening up one of the binders he brought along with him. Most of it contains the ideas Bryana already gave him towards venue ideas, along with color palettes, and it’s the first time Luke really doesn’t want to get to know the couple before diving in. He’s not sure he can handle hearing the happy fairy tale of Bryana and Ashton right now.

“Depending on your schedules, I was thinking we could search for venues tomorrow based on the locations you have given me,” Luke begins, spreading out the various locations Bryana had given him. “Most of these are actual beaches we would have to rent certain sections of, while others happen to be churches near a beach. I figured we should keep our options open, depending on weather conditions.”

Bryana nods, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she looks over the locations. “I really like this church, it’s not too large, but it seems to have enough space for our families.” She shifts the photo over to Ashton, allowing him to observe the location. “You said you preferred small, what do you think?”

“I said I preferred small because of prices,” Ashton reminds her, kissing her cheek. “We don’t have a large budget, Bry. I want this wedding to be perfect for you, but we need to have money left over for our honeymoon afterwards.” He looks up at Luke, awaiting his response towards prices. That was something about Ashton Luke couldn’t believe he’d forgotten: Ashton figured everyone could read his mind.

“I’ve worked with smaller budgets before,” Luke assures them. “I want whatever suits the two of you, makes this a day you’ll remember for the rest of your lives.” He meets Ashton’s gaze then, smiling softly. “I can assure you guys that your wedding day will become a day you look back on, ten years from now, and think to yourselves, ‘I wouldn’t change a thing.’”

Luke hates the weight his words leave on him, and he certainly dislikes the way Ashton’s eyes tear away from his to hide his feelings. Luke knows his words had struck a nerve. “That’s exactly what I am looking for,” Bryana chimes in, resting her head on Ashton’s arm and kissing his bicep. “I told you I could find someone who knew us!”

“Yeah,” Ashton sounds distant, distracted. “Yeah, you did.”

Luke is incredibly grateful when the waiter shows up with their meals, giving him something to shove into his mouth he makes a fool of himself. He wanted to pat himself on the back for getting this far into the brunch without mentioning his past with Ashton, and if he played his cards right he could possibly get through the entire planning process without mentioning a single word.

Bryana treats him kindly, and it’s within that hour that Luke deduces that the woman is incredibly perfect for someone like Ashton. She has a heart of gold, looks at Ashton as if he hung the stars in the sky. Luke remembers what it was like to see Ashton in such a way, still does, and it both warms and breaks his heart to see Ashton return the look of love towards her.

Putting his feelings aside, Luke was going to try his absolute best to make this wedding one of his best. The minor detail of it being for someone he’s quite sure he’s still in love with was just a minor speed bump, nothing that could slow him down too much.

He hopes, anyway.

*

It’s only a few days after their brunch that Luke receives a phone call from Bryana, the woman apologizing profusely into the mouth piece before Luke can even get a word out. Not being able to understand his bride’s panic begins to unsettle him, as he gets up off of his couch and pauses the television show he had been watching to attempt to calm her down.

“Bryana, I need you to breathe,” Luke instructs calmly, listening for Bryana’s breathing. She inhales deeply, and Luke does as well. “Alright, now, please explain to me calmly what is wrong.” He’s hoping it wasn’t incredibly urgent, such as a mishap with the flower orders he had Ashley finalize yesterday. He knows they were supposed to arrive soon and if the company screwed them up…

“I won’t be able to make it to our venue search today,” she grumbles into the phone, sounding frustrated. “A photoshoot with a company I’ve recently been signed for changed the dates and I have to be on a flight to Bali in two hours instead of two weeks.”

Luke can breathe a little easier now. “That’s a simple fix! We can just reschedule for a better time- “

 “Actually,” Bryana interrupts. “Ashton is still able to attend, and he told me he’d send photos of the venues to me so I can see them when I land. If it is no issue with you, the two of you can still carry on with today’s appointment. I promise Ashton has a good judgement when it comes to location and could really be a good help, even without me there.” She sounds so hopeful that Luke would accept the new idea, and Luke does not want an angry bride on him right now.

“Wouldn’t you rather be in there in person, seeing them?” Luke asks her, hoping that the desperation in his voice isn’t obvious. The last thing he wants is Bryana growing suspicious of him, and Luke doesn’t exactly want to be the one to tell her of his past with Ashton. At least, not until Ashton has. “The bride’s opinion is better than any.”

“I trust Ashton more than anything,” Bryana assures him, and it makes Luke panic even more. “I know he’ll pick somewhere wonderful. I have to go, I’m so sorry! I already gave Ashton your phone number and your office address, he’ll meet you there at two, just like we had planned.”

She hangs up before Luke can protest anymore.

Luke takes a deep breath, falling back against his couch and letting out a loud sigh. How was he supposed to spend an entire afternoon with Ashton scouting out wedding locations? It was meant to be a romantic thing between the bride and groom, finding the exact place they would finally come together as one. Now Luke was forced to spend such a time with Ashton, and with Luke’s luck his mind was automatically going to associate himself and Ashton into each place, the two them becoming hitched there.

That was the absolute last thing he needed to be picturing.

His phone lights up then, and his hearts begin to speed up at the thought of Ashton attempting to get ahold of him. Luke fumbles with trying to get a decent grip on his phone, sliding his thumb to answer it and holding it against his ear.

“Luke Hemmings, how can I help you?”

There is a familiar snort on the other end, and Luke groans. “Since when do you answer the phone all formal?”

Luke pinches his nose. “I thought you were one of my clients, Mikey.”

Michael laughs on the other end of the speaker, and it warms Luke’s heart to hear his best friend so _happy._ His laugh sounds genuine, light. “Technically, I used to be one of your clients. Anyway, how is your business doing since I left for my honeymoon? Got any weird ass couples that came in that want to ride a chariot down the aisle or something?”

Luke laughs as he thinks back to the Thompson wedding, back when Michael worked as his assistant alongside Ashley. It had been a pain in the ass finding a damn chariot to begin with, but it certainly made a nice memory.

“Sadly, no,” Luke regrets to tell him. His eyes glance over towards his calendar, where the current date was circled for venue hunting and he sighs. “Actually, there is a client that you would never believe I’m planning their nuptials.”

There’s a rustling in the background, Luke assuming Michael was preparing himself for the news. At least that’s what he hoped. Knowing them Calum was in the background doing something to Michael, and Luke really did not need to be on the other end of _that_ again. “Tell me!” Michael demands.

“Ashton Irwin.”

Luke had expected a reaction out Michael, possibly something over the top about how Ashton was dead to him and that ‘he’s lucky I’m in a different country or I’d kick his ass!’. What he doesn’t expect, however, is the silence that follows Luke’s reveal, as if the boy just hung up on him.

“Mikey? You still there?”

The other end remains silent, until finally a soft voice speaks. “Fuck, are you doing okay?” And, oh, that’s not what Luke expected. It was incredibly rare for his best friend to be soft spoken, a bit of concern lacing his voice. The only instance Luke can remember Michael speaking this gently was around Calum, when the boy was feeling ill and was being babied.

Luke bites his lip. “I’m doing better than I thought I’d be when the moment came,” he confesses, walking towards his fridge to get a bottle of Cuervo. “That being, I’m not on the floor in the fetal position, but it still hurts like a bitch.”

Michael knows heartbroken Luke was when Ashton had left. Hell, it was a moment that Luke had pretty much deemed the worst moment of his life. (Then again, he was eighteen at the time.) Michael had put him back together those following years, was with him for all the sleepless nights of crying into his pillow, the mumbles of ‘I hate him’ that switched to ‘I love him’, and Luke not knowing which one was the truth and which was a lie.

It would have been easier, seeing Ashton again, if he wasn’t still as beautiful as he had been back when they were eighteen. Luke’s heart could’ve taken it if the boy wasn’t exactly as Luke remembered him being.

“Doesn’t wedding planning mean spending more time with the bride? At least, from you planning previous weddings that’s what I’ve come to notice.” Michael’s trying to make the situation better, Luke knows he is, but it’s not helping.

Luke takes a long drink from the bottle, rubbing his forehead. “If only that were the case. The bride is a model who is going to be gone for the next few weeks doing a photoshoot. She wasn’t supposed to leave for another two weeks, but she ended up having to leave this morning.”

Michael snorts. “Leave it to fucking Ashton to marry a god damn model. She’s probably a bitch, isn’t she?”

“She’s an angel,” Luke defends, Michael badmouthing Bryana leaving a bad taste in his mouth. “Possibly the sweetest woman I’ve ever met. It doesn’t surprise me that Ashton fell for her.” His heart twists at his words, almost as if it knew Luke didn’t want to say such a thing. Hell, Luke didn’t, but he wasn’t going to deny what he saw between his ex and his fiancée. Just because Luke’s relationship with him was ill-fated, it didn’t mean they would be.

No matter how much a part of him wished they would fail.

“Shit,” Michael suddenly hisses, and Luke’s eyebrow shoots up. “Fuck, Luke I’m so sorry, I really want to talk to you about this but Calum- “

Luke didn’t bother to fight the boy, knowing once Calum came into the equation Michael would be gone. “That’s alright, you are on your honeymoon. I can get through this, go talk with your husband.” He’s almost out of Cuervo at this point, and he knows if he’s going to make it through the afternoon this needed to slow down. “Call you tonight?”

“Of course. Tell me how the appointment goes today, okay?”

Luke hums before hanging up, taking his empty bottle of Cuervo and tossing it in the trash. The clock in his kitchen tells him he still has a few hours before his meeting with Ashton, and while a shower definitely sounded incredible at that moment, having another beer to get him through the afternoon sounded better.

Liquid courage was better than none.

*

Seeing Ashton again, this time without Bryana there, is different.

This time there is no bride there to keep him distracted, to take his attention off of Ashton so he’s not staring like so fool. Not even Ashley can drag his eyes away from his ex, as she speaks with another client about some other matter.

This time, he can see just how much Ashton has changed over the past ten years. Of course, the boy still radiated such beauty, with his sun kissed skin and wavy honey hair. It still contains the soft curl it always had, though it’s shorter than Luke remembers it being. His biceps have grown considerably, though Luke suspects all those years working as a lifeguard managed to build them up. He’s grown into the man Luke always knew he would be, and all Luke could hope was that he managed to keep his kind spirit with it.

After all, that was what made Luke fall in love with him from the start.

Luke begins to walk towards Ashton, to thank him for actually showing up for the venue hunting the afternoon would be filled with, but he’s surprised when Ashton meets him halfway with a warm, tight hug. He feels awkward, with his own arms stiff at his sides and unsure if he should actually hug Ashton back.

“I couldn’t do this at the brunch,” Ashton mumbles into his shoulder. “So I’m doing it now.”

At that moment he wonders how the past ten years have been for Ashton. Had Ashton been wondering if this moment would ever come, the moment where they would meet again? Luke knows that both of their ideas of reconnection were quite different, because there was no possible way that Ashton thought they would reconnect as lovers. Luke, of course, had held on to a false hope of such a thing occurring.

Now? Now was different.

Ashton releases him a little later, when Luke hasn’t hugged him back. That bright smile still rested on his face though. “Ten years. How strange is it that after ten years apart, we would meet each other once again when you plan my wedding?”

 _Fucking weird._ “Definitely not what I had in mind when I pictured seeing you again, that’s for sure,” Luke responds, a light chuckle following his words. He can feel warmth on his cheeks as he spots Ashton’s dimpled smile once more, and his heart begins thudding rapidly in his chest. “I am really happy to see you again, though.”

Ashton tucks his hands into his pants pockets, the smile never leaving his face. “The feeling is mutual.” He points his thumb back at Ashley, biting his lip. “Your blue haired assistant told me that we were taking your car?”

At the mention of her hair, Ashley peaks her head away from the client she’s speaking with and waves at Luke, giving him a knowing wink. Luke reminds himself to think of why he hasn’t fired her yet. “Sounds about right. I have a full tank of gas and about six venues we need to scope out, so we should probably begin to head out.”

Ashton nods, waving goodbye to Ashley with a friendly grin before following Luke out of the building. The awkward tension has shown up once more, the kind that rested heavily at the brunch. Luke’s not sure what to ask, what to say to Ashton after ten years of separation. He wants to know everything and nothing, and choosing which one would hurt his heart less was difficult.

“Where are we headed first?” Ashton asks him, looking at the window as they pass through downtown. “Are we just going to travel around to coast area?”

“For a little while,” Luke tells him, pressing his foot against the brake as a red light comes up. “There are a few churches there, as well as a few private spots we could rent out in case you guys decide to have your wedding directly on the beach. Most of the venues we will be looking at are ones Bryana picked out, a few of them are ones I did.”

Ashton nods, drumming his fingers against his legs. The corners of Luke’s lips perk up at the small act, and he lets out a soft laugh. “You’re nervous.”

Ashton turns to face him, confusion evident. “How could you guess?”

“Well,” Luke clears his throat, continuing to drive down towards the coast. He can see the ocean coming into view now, and it was definitely a perfect day for venue hunting. “You always drummed your fingers against your legs when you were feeling nervous. What’s got you so antsy?”

Ashton licks his lips, staring ahead at the road. “What if I can’t find the perfect venue? Bryana deserves nothing but the best, but what if the place I end up liking she ends up disliking? I want her to have everything in the world, but I don’t want to get married at a place that she doesn’t end up liking, or I don’t even up liking- “

Luke doesn’t know what made him do it, maybe it was just a knee jerk reaction, but he moves his hand to rest against Ashton’s knee, giving it a gentle squeeze. “Hey,” he speaks softly, another stop sign coming into view. Once the vehicle is at a halt, he turns to look at Ashton with sincerity. “I’ll make sure whatever place we find, it’s perfect for both of you. I promise.”

Ashton smiles at him, genuine and beautiful. “Can I be honest with you?” He asks, and once Luke gives him a nod, he sighs. “When I found out you were going to be our wedding planner, a part of me wondered if you were still in love with me. For some reason, that part of me wondered if you would try to sabotage the wedding because you were still upset.” He stops, lacing his hand with Luke’s and says, “I knew though, deep down, you were still the Luke I fell in love with. You want everyone to be happy, regardless. That’s the Luke I have missed, and that’s the Luke I have the chance to reconnect with now.”

Reconnection. Luke wanted that.

*

“I don’t know about this one,” Ashton says, looking around the place.

The venue is beautiful, to Luke’s taste. It’s near the beach, the reception area opening up towards the ocean and allowing guests to venture out onto the sand. Luke deduces it would be a beautiful place to hold the reception, and then have the actual ceremony in the grand ballroom just a floor above them. It was positively lovely for a beach wedding.

Not to Ashton, though.

“What’s wrong with this one?” Luke asks, stepping around the ballroom and holding his arms out. “It’s on the beach, which is what the two of you wanted. The venue is near a hotel as well, which we could use to house the family that comes.”

“That’s the issue,” Ashton explains to him, pushing Luke’s arms down. “Bryana and I don’t have large families. We don’t exactly need a venue this large, for such a small amount of people we will be having attend, don’t you think?”

Luke rolls his eyes. “I doubt you even have your guest list completed, Ashton. The wedding isn’t for another what, five months? I’m positive that in the amount of time given, your guest list will have expanded. Besides, getting a venue large enough, just in case, helps with figuring out colors and a theme so we can get started ahead of schedule.”

Ashton merely blinks at him as he speaks, and Luke grumbles. “Don’t worry, Bryana gave me colors I can work with, as well as the theme of, well, beach. I’m guessing beach is incredibly important considering it’s where the two of you met, and want as a wedding theme.”

That seems to get Ashton’s attention, as a smile spreads across his lips at the thought of the beach. “I spent a good part of my college life at the beach,” Ashton explains to him, hands tucked into his pockets as they venture out into the sand. “Something about the ocean seemed to make everything better, make the bad stuff go away. It was a coincidence that I ended up meeting Bryana there.” He blushes a little, and Luke has to pinch himself to stop him from thinking how adorable it was. “A lot of good things happened to me on the beach. Why not have another good thing happen there too?”

Luke makes notes in his head as Ashton speaks, anything to keep him from imaging himself in Bryana’s place. “There are a few smaller venues we can check out I guess, though I still stand on having a bigger venue. Our next stop is a secluded part of the beach that Bryana recommended, so let’s see if that will work out.”

Ashton nods, his hazel eyes glimmering with ideas. “Is there a chance we could have a luau for the reception? Maybe some tiki lights, a bonfire, throw in an acoustic band?” He turns to Luke, excitement rushing through him. “Could you possibly pull that off?”

Luke grins. “I can pull anything you throw at me off, Ashton.”

His words make Ashton chuckle, looking down at his bare toes buried in the warm sand. “Also, for colors? I always thought Bryana was beautiful in yellow. I understand keeping the bride in white, but maybe incorporate yellow in the background? Light colors, you know?”

Luke nods at Ashton’s words, keeping the color in mind. He knows Bryana had yellow among the colors she wanted, but Luke had still yet to decide whether or not he could pull it off with the other colors Bryana brought to the table.

“The next two beach venues are within walking distance,” Luke explains to him, pointing down the beach. “How about we just walk for a little bit? We can talk about the wedding from your perspective a bit more, figure out what you want- “

“Luke,” Ashton speaks up above Luke’s rambling, making the boy stop and turn to face his client. “If you don’t mind, I’d really like to talk about you.”

“About me?” Luke questions, hands in his pockets. “I don’t think right now is an appropriate time to discuss my personal life.”

Ashton nods, though it doesn’t seem as though he’s allowing the subject to drop so easily. “I guess I’m just curious to how you have been. Ten years is quite a long time, Luke. How did college go for you? When did you decide you wanted to be a wedding planner instead of an accountant?”

Knowing Ashton wasn’t about to let the subject go away, Luke rubs the back of his neck as he searches for an answer. Thinking back to ten years ago was never Luke’s favorite pastime, mostly because of how much it still hurt to think about the past. “Well,” he begins, continuing to walk towards the next venue. “College was wonderful, graduated with a degree in accounting, but it was after graduation that I realized that I wasn’t very fond of doing that for the rest of my life. I wanted something more eventful, some spontaneous that I could see myself doing forever.”

“And wedding planning ended up being that?”

Luke laughs. “Strange, I know. My assistant, Ashley? I met her after graduation. She worked at this run down accounting firm that I went to apply to, and as I was applying she began talking about how it was her dream to help create something for couples. Ashley loved the idea of creating a day to remember for people, from start to finish. As she was rambling on and on about her ideas to open a wedding planning business, it got me thinking about how much fun it would be.”

“You became a wedding planner because a crazy girl with blue hair got you into it?” Ashton chuckles, though it doesn’t sound rude. It’s more of an amused chuckle, one that sounds disbelieving. “Luke Hemmings, taking a risk and doing something no one expected. That doesn’t sound like you.”

“Yeah, well, people change after a while,” Luke snaps, though he didn’t intend for it to sound that harsh. “Sorry.”

Ashton waves him off. “Don’t be. I deserve a little hostility from you.”

It’s then that the inevitable conversation begins to make its way. It would be so simple, to bring up the very thing that broke them up and finally talk about it, figure out from the beginning what had made them go from happily ever after to a terrible end. It’s not that Luke doesn’t know himself what made them break-up, because he does. He just wants to know if there were any regrets, if there could have been something, _anything,_ that could have changed their minds.

He doesn’t get a chance to ask before they have already arrived at the venue, and the waves have begun to tickle his feet. “A place like this is a little costly, but I can promise you that I can get you a wonderful deal on it.”

*

A few venues later, and Luke thinks they might have found the perfect place.

“It’s perfect,” Ashton breathed out the minute they stepped foot into the church. It was a tiny thing, not quite the large space the first place they had checked out was. By the look in Ashton’s eyes, though, it was exactly what he wanted. “I’m going to take some pictures for Bryana, email them to her so she can see them when she can. This place is, beautiful.”

Luke wasn’t going to deny that. While the area was small, it was right on the beach; step out the front doors and you could walk out onto the sand. Luke could see outside being the perfect place for the reception, depending on the weather of course. He could easily make do with what he had laid out in front of him right now.

“We could have the luau right out front,” Luke explains to him, resting against the doorframe of the church as Ashton looks around. “I’m pretty sure with how much space is out here I can find someone to bring in a dance floor, string up some fairy lights for when it’s too dark for tiki torches.” The image is coming together perfectly in Luke’s head, and he’s filled with relief that a good thing came from this trip.

Ashton’s eyes continue to sparkle, and Luke knows it’s because everything is coming together. He remembers how Ashton was always in a better mood when things began to go his way, and right now was a prime example of that.

Once he’s done checking out the altar, Ashton comes back to Luke in the doorway, a large grin on his face. “If you don’t mind, how about we go for drinks after this? We can celebrate finding the perfect venue, and, well, catch up?” He sounds so hopeful, and while Luke wouldn’t mind spending some time with an old friend, a part of him knows better than to get attached again.

“I have another wedding to work on,” Luke argues lamely. He doesn’t need to do much else for the other wedding, but it was the best excuse he had up his sleeve at the moment. “This bride is freaking nuts, and if every little detail isn’t perfect for her, she’ll go around running the reputation I’ve built up for myself around here.”

Ashton snorts. “Since when have you ever cared about a reputation?” He ruffles Luke’s hair, making Luke squeal and fling his hands up to swat at Ashton’s. “Now, do an old friend a favor and have a drink or two with him while he’s lonely. I get quite lonely when Bryana is off for photoshoots and my usual party buddy is out of town on his honeymoon.”

Luke doesn’t want to say yes; he wants to make sure he can avoid Ashton as much as possible outside of the wedding planning. It’s the safest bet for his heart. There was no way Luke could risk falling in love with Ashton again, especially since the boy was getting married now. “Fine,” he caves, though he does add, “Just not today. Sometime later would work.”

Another snort from Ashton. “Well, last I checked you have my new number. Call me?”

It reminds Luke far too much of when they first met when Ashton says that, and he forces himself not to groan about that. The last thing he needs to be thinking about right now was to the good times between him and Ashton, especially while they are still planning Ashton’s _wedding to someone else._

“I can do that,” Luke responds, and automatically wants to smack himself in the forehead. _Of course you can do that dumbass._ “Thought probably not for a while, a week at least. Got other weddings, all that crazy stuff. You know?” Fuck, he sounds like a rambling idiot. This is why he really should keep his mouth shut.

Ashton laughs at him, gathering him into another hug that isn’t near as tight as the previous one.

Except this time, and _only_ because he can’t help it, Luke hugs him back.

*

It wasn’t that Luke was _purposely_ avoiding calling Ashton, that wasn’t the case. The other wedding he’s been working on has just clogged up all of his free time, especially since the bride has been quite demanding on what exactly needed to be at the altar or at the reception. Luke was surprised he’s kept his head on the entire weekend, and when Monday rolls around he’s all ready to take a few days off and simply _sleep._

Of course, that wasn’t going to be allowed.

Halfway through what was an incredible nap, his cell phone is chiming in his ear. He’s tempted to chuck the device halfway across the room, make it shatter into a thousand pieces against the wall, but knows it must be something important. Sighing, he rubs his eyes a little bit before sliding his thumb across the screen. “Hello?”

“Did you just wake up?” Michael’s voice asks him through the receiver, sounding chastising. “It’s the middle of the afternoon, why the fuck are you sleeping?”

“Because unlike you I have a demanding job that leaves me with little sleep,” Luke groans, rubbing his eyes some more to remove the sleep. “Aren’t you supposed to be having loads of honeymoon sex with your husband right now? Last I checked that’s exactly what you told me you’d be doing the whole honeymoon.”

“Honeymoon is over,” Michael grumbles, though he doesn’t sound all that frustrated. “Flight home was this morning, we are currently at the airport and I thought I would call my best friend and tell him that I’m back home and want to _party.”_

“Mikey, I’m really in no mood to party.”

“Nonsense!” Michael argues. “We are going to go out tonight, you, me, and Calum, and we are going to have drinks together. I promise we won’t be a loved up couple around you. Maybe I can convince Calum to bring a friend for you!”

Luke wants to bang his head against his desk. It’s tempting right now. “The last thing I need is for Calum to set me up with one of his friends. I’ve told you a million times that I’m not dating Michael.”

“Because of Ashton.” Luke bites down on his lip. “Luke, he’s getting married. I really think you need to move on from him before you get your feelings hurt even more. Just one night.”

Luke knows he’s not going to win this one, no matter what fight he puts up. “Fine,” he grumbles, wincing as Michael cheers into the phone loudly. “I guess I can go out for a night with my friends. I’ll tell Ashley to stay on call in case one of the weddings needs me.”

“Damn right you will,” Michael laughs. “I’ll pick you up tonight, okay? Be ready around eight.” The line goes dead then, and Luke knows there is no turning back. While he dreads going out for drinks with his friends, though he really shouldn’t, he knows Michael just wants to make him feel better. Maybe a night out with friends would really be cathartic for him.

Then again, he knows Michael won’t drop the subject of Ashton. Luke was going to have to be properly drunk if he was going to have to listen to that. Heading to his fridge, he grabs a couple of beers and cracks one open.

After all, Luke felt better when he was drunk.

*

Michael stays true to his word, picking him up around eight o clock with Calum in the passenger seat. “Hey Luke!” Calum greets, a bright, excited smile on his face. “How have you been?”

Luke shrugs, ignoring the knowing glance Michael is shooting him from the driver’s seat. Luke can only assume that Michael hasn’t talked about Luke’s predicament with his husband. “Alright. I’ve got two weddings going on right now, so I’ve been keeping busy.”

“I never got to thank you for how beautiful our wedding was,” Calum continues on, obviously oblivious to the tension building in the car. “A friend of mine is getting married soon, and last I had heard he and his fiancé were looking for a wedding planner. Think you could help them out if you are not to swamped?”

There was a reason Luke always had liked Calum. The boy wasn’t one to pry into personal information or pressure someone into speaking about things they obviously did not want to. He was just a happy soul, full of optimism and kindness. That’s what keeps Luke going as they drive to whatever bar Michael is taking them to, just talk of easy things and little bits of Luke’s wedding planning ideas.

Maybe Michael was right about going out tonight. Luke feels less stressed being around his friends, at ease as they laugh and joke while entering the bar. Maybe Ashley had a good point all of those times she tried forcing him to have fun. She was doing it for Luke’s own good.

Then again, it could have been the few beers he had before Michael picked him up that were putting him at ease.

They find a booth easily enough, with Calum volunteering to get them a round of drinks. Luke nearly wants to gag as he takes forever to leave the booth, clinging to Michael’s side as he kisses him farewell. He guesses it’s a little sweet, how the two of them are still drunk of love from the honeymoon, but it’s also nauseating.

“Okay, now that Calum is gone,” Michael says, turning his attention back to Luke. “Tell me how on fucking earth Ashton Irwin found you and wanted you to plan his wedding.”

That was the last thing Luke wanted to talk about. “Wasn’t the point of me coming with you to party that we avoid that topic? I really don’t want to talk about it, I just would appreciate a night out with my friends and get a little drunk.” He looks over towards the bar, hoping Calum hurries with the drinks. He’s needing one right now, especially if Michael was going to continue to pester him about Ashton. Which, knowing his best friend, that was a big possibility.

“You can’t avoid it forever,” Michael continues. “I need you to tell me if it ends up being too much. This guy has left you wrecked for ten years, and I swear to God I will kick his ass if he ends up hurting you again.” He runs a hand through his newly dyed blue hair before sighing. “I don’t want to see you go through the misery you did when he left the first time. It would kill me to see you that broken again.”

Luke doesn’t _want_ to go back to how broken he was then. He remembers when Ashton broke up with him all those years ago, and how it took nearly forever for Luke to be rebuilt. Michael had been with him throughout most of the agonizing moments, holding him as Luke broke down in his arms. Luke was proud of himself for growing stronger the past ten years, but he also knows it’s just been a house of cards; he was bound to crumble sooner or later.

“I’m just trying to make him happy,” Luke admits, leaning back into the wall of the booth. “Isn’t that what you are supposed to do when your ex moves on? Despite them being with someone else, you just accept it because all you want for them is to be happy?”

“I guess.”

Luke turns his head towards the bar, beginning to wonder what was taking Calum so long to get their drinks before his eyes widen, and now he’s tugging the hood of his jacket over his head. He knows Michael is giving him a look about it, but it seems to click when Michael suddenly whispers a ‘oh fuck’ under his breath.

“Round of shots!” Calum cheers, setting the tray down onto their booth with a wide grin. “Courtesy of my party buddy, who I just happened to find on the other end of this place!”

Luke doesn’t want to look up. He’s perfectly content with keeping his face plastered to the table the rest of the night. In fact, he thinks doing just that for the rest of the night sounds absolutely perfect.

“Luke?”

Well, there goes that.

Lifting his head up from its resting place, it’s quite obvious that Calum is oblivious to what is going on. Michael is practically sending daggers into his husband’s head, and Calum’s party buddy just looks awfully uncomfortable to be placed in such a situation. Luke, on the other hand, is torn between feeling uncomfortable and angry. Uncomfortable because, of course, Calum’s party buddy just _had_ to be Ashton fucking Irwin.

Angry? Well.

“I didn’t know you and Calum were friends,” Luke hisses through his teeth, trying to sound like it doesn’t bother him but of course, failing miserably. He’s looking at Michael now, wondering why on _Earth_ his best friend would keep something like this from him. That’s definitely a conversation they need to be having. “Calum, is this who you were talking about when you said you had a buddy in need of a wedding planner?”

Calum nods, though his gaze has shifted to look at his husband. “Um, yeah.” He sounds distracted. “Babe, something wrong?”

Michael covers up his anger well, grabbing Calum’s wrist instead and picking himself up out of the booth. “Let’s dance.” He suggests instead, and before Luke can bother to protest he’s dragging Calum off towards the dance floor, leaving Luke alone with Ashton.

It’s exactly what Luke didn’t want for tonight. Not only has the conversation flown back to Ashton, but now Ashton himself is sitting across from him, and the entire situation is incredibly awkward. Luke wants to leave even more now, just to take off back to his apartment and maybe have a few beers on his own.

He opts for the shots in front of him instead. He grabs one of the glasses quickly and downs it before Ashton can even move for one of his own. He doesn’t miss the way his ex raises an eyebrow at his actions, ignoring him in favor of grabbing another glass.

“I’m an asshole,” Ashton starts off, fingers playing with one of the shot glasses resting in front of them. “I know that’s what you are thinking, you can say it.”

Luke really does want to say that. He’s so angry with Ashton, has been for so damn long, that he just wants to scream and yell. Ashton deserves to be called an asshole, and maybe a few other curse words that are currently whirling through Luke’s mind. This was his chance to release ten years of pent up anger.

“You are,” Luke snorts, downing another one of the shot glasses. The liquid burns his throat, but Luke welcomes the burn with open arms. “I’ve wanted you to know that you were an asshole for ten years. First, you break up with me, _on our anniversary,_ and now I find out that you managed to weasel your way into my friend’s lives. Was it to hurt me some more? To show that you managed to stay friends with them but never bothered to try and make amends with someone you used to _fuck?”_

Ashton looks awfully uncomfortable, shifting in his seat as words he could use to spit back at Luke die in his throat. It makes Luke feel powerful, to know that Ashton was feeling ashamed. He deserved to be. “When did you become friends with them, huh?” Luke continues, starting to feel the effects of the beers from earlier kick in with the shots. “Did you meet Calum at your fancy little University you left me for? I bet the two of you fucked around for a bit, probably helped you forget all about me did it?” He begins to reach for another shot, but instead his hands knock them over completely, sending them spilling all over the table.

“Luke,” Ashton sits up, hands reaching out for Luke. “You’ve had enough to drink; I think that’s enough.”

“No!” Luke shouts suddenly, staring Ashton directly in the eye. “You don’t get to fucking tell me when enough is enough. You don’t get to tell me what to do, because this is all your fault! For a whole fucking _decade,_ I’ve been miserable. I’ve tried dating, but I can’t because of _you._ So don’t you dare tell me what I can or cannot do when I’ve been given the short end of the stick for _ten years.”_

His words seem to render Ashton speechless, but Luke doesn’t care. He begins to shuffle out of the booth, planning on going home in a cab and maybe having a few more Cuervos, but Ashton’s arms stop him from getting any further.

“Let me take you home,” Ashton insists, his voice kind and quiet. “I’d feel better if I knew you got home safely. I’ll go tell Michael and Calum that you are too drunk and need to go home.” His arms wrap safely around Luke’s waist, and despite him protesting and beating his fists against Ashton, he knows it’s useless.

He doesn’t quite remember getting home. He must look like a fool, though, as Ashton carries him bridal style ( _how ironic,_ Luke thinks to himself), into his apartment. Luke always cursed himself for allowing himself to drink himself to this point. It made him look like a slob.

There’s a hand running through his hair the minute he meets his bed, and suddenly his eyes feel incredibly heavy. Had he been this tired at the bar? He’s not quite sure, though he’s pretty sure the hand running through his hair is quite heavenly.

“I’ve missed you.” He mumbles drunkenly to Ashton, curling up into his pillow before gently falling asleep.

The last words he hears before he crashes completely are, “I’ve missed you too.”

*

Bryana is back in town a week later, just in time for cake testing. Ashton had insisted that he didn’t want to do it without her, explaining how peculiar she was with what she ate. Her taste buds varied with what they liked from time to time, Ashton had explained. Luke didn’t bother with arguing with such a topic, already counting down the days until Bryana came back.

They haven’t spoken about the night Luke blew up on Ashton. Luke is pretty grateful for that, not really wanting to revisit such an embarrassing moment. Hell, he couldn’t even remember half of the things he screamed at Ashton before they had left the bar, all of it being a blurry haze. The only thing Luke really remembers was the next morning, and the pulsing headache that threatened him the minute he opened his eyes.

Cake testing is what he needed right now. An hour or so just eating bits and pieces of cake was a wonderful distraction from the shitstorm his life was slowly becoming. Bryana being there as a distraction of his inevitable conversation with Ashton was just a plus.

“It’s such a shame that you don’t like buttercream frosting Ash,” Bryana pouts, swiping her finger delicately across one of the cupcakes and placing the frosting in her mouth. “This stuff tastes _heavenly.”_

Ashton can only respond by sticking his tongue out, placing one of the cupcakes down on the tray the bakery had provided them with for the testing. It’s barely got a bite out of it, the lemon in the middle oozing out onto the tray and Luke can tell Ashton was dissatisfied with it. “I need a glass of water or something.” He says, turning to Luke. “Would you guys like some?”

Luke shakes his head, as does Bryana, leaving Ashton alone as he trails towards the front of the store in search of water. It’s the first time since Luke first met her that he’s been alone with Bryana, and he hates how awkward it feels. It was easier back when he didn’t know she was marrying Ashton.

“How was Bali?” he asks, hoping a friendly conversation could keep his mind off of things. “I’ve never really been there, but I’ve heard it beautiful.”

“It was lovely,” Bryana says shortly. “I missed being home though. Whenever I head off for shoots Ashton always gets lonely. He doesn’t have a lot of friends aside from a few party buddies, and it worries me that he’ll spend all of his time at the bars while I’m away.” She picks up another cupcake, unwrapping it slowly. “Do you mind if I ask you about something? It’s a little personal, and I don’t want to sound inconsiderate, but I’ve been wanting to bring it up with you.”

Luke doesn’t want to say yes. He’s scared of where Bryana is going with this, what she could possibly be asking him about that could be personal. There’s a million things swarming around in his head now as she looks at him, awaiting an answer as she takes a bite of a new cupcake.

“I don’t mind,” Luke responds, though his head is screaming at him that he’s an idiot. “Is something wrong?”

Bryana shakes her head. “No! Not at all!” She sets her cupcake down and places her hand lightly on Luke’s shoulder. Luke recognizes the look on her face as one his mother used to give him. It’s one of sympathy and hurt, the kind of look that just tells Luke that what they are about to talk about was between the two of them, a secret. “I was cleaning up around Ashton and I’s apartment the other day when I got home, moving some stuff around, and I found some pictures from high school he had.”

Alarms are going off wildly in Luke’s head now, and _fuck_ he needs to find the nearest exit and get the hell out of there.

Bryana doesn’t seem angry though. Maybe that’s what is keeping Luke from darting off to the exit in a mad dash. “I knew that Ashton had a boyfriend when he was in high school. He told me about his sexuality from the beginning, telling me how he was attracted to all genders. It’s never bothered me before, will never bother me.” She clears her throat, removing her hand from Luke’s shoulder. “Imagine my surprise to see you in a lot of those pictures.”

Luke shuts his eyes, breathing easily as he thinks of something to say. He knew this moment was bound to come eventually, that he really should have planned ahead what he was going to say. His naïve self honestly thought he could keep with lying about it all, omitting the truth from his client. “It was ten years ago,” Luke starts, trying to find the words to make Bryana realize. “I promise you that nothing is there anymore. I want what is best for you and Ashton, and what is best for the two of you is that you have the wedding of a lifetime.”

He didn’t realize Bryana was crying until he hears her sniffle, and now he feels _awful._ “Bryana, I’m so sorry if I upset you- “

Bryana waves her hand, wiping underneath he eyes as she turns to face Luke head on. “I’m not crying about what you said,” she insists, her voice soft. “Well, I guess I am a little bit. I’ve always been an overly emotional person to begin with.” She accepts the napkin Luke hands her, dabbing at her tears gently. “I’m just thinking about you; how hard it must be. Be honest with me, does it hurt seeing him again?”

Luke doesn’t know. In the beginning he was incredibly hurt to know that his ex-boyfriend was out there, close by but not wanting to be near Luke. While the hurt has faded the more he’s worked on the wedding, it’s still there, festering in Luke’s heart and waiting to spread.

“Only a little,” Luke admits to her, knowing she had the right to know the truth. “I’m over him, I promise you. Like I said, I only want what is best for the two of you.”

His words make Bryana smile, and she takes Luke by surprise when she gathers him into a large hug. Luke is hesitant to wrap his arms around her, but he gives in anyway, holding her close. Ashton really did deserve someone like her. She was perfect for him.

Ashton returns a while later with some bottles of water, complaining about having to run to the gas station just to get them. “It’s good thing I love you,” he whispers to Bryana before kissing her cheek, handing her the bottle of water.

So maybe Luke did lie to Bryana; he wasn’t over Ashton, not in the slightest.

*

His phone vibrates with a text from Ashley that night.

_I have a friend that would be perfect for you!_

Luke only smiles softly at her text, knowing that she means well. Going on a date would be good for him, especially since the one person he’s ever loved was getting married soon. He needed to start trying to move on instead of forcing himself to stay single for the rest of his life. Maybe it was for the best, to finally let Ashton go and allow himself to stop being so miserable.

Before he can type out a reply, his phone vibrates with a call from Michael. Luke is almost tempted to just let the call go to voicemail, not wanting anything to do with his best friend at the moment. Michael had kept Ashton away from him on purpose, when there was a chance that Luke could have seen him just once more. As far as Luke could tell, Michael wasn’t a very good friend. _That makes me sound so childish,_ he thinks to himself.

Luke has always been weak, though, and he ends up answering regardless of his anger. “What do you want?”

“To apologize,” Michael starts, and Luke’s heart thumps a little at the fact that his friend sounds so sad. “I should have told you that Calum and Ashton were friends. I guess at the time I thought I was doing you a favor, keeping you away from him. Luke, you were so miserable after he broke up with you, I couldn’t risk him coming back into your life and messing you up again.” There’s a pause, and Luke is about to speak when Michael says, “Like he is right now.”

Luke scoffs. “How is Ashton messing up my life right now?”

“You’re drinking again,” Michael says simply, and Luke bites his lip. “The last time you drank this heavily was when the two of you first broke up. I remember having to drag you home night after night because you were so fucking out of it. When Ashton told me what happened at the bar the other night- “

“I’m fine,” Luke says sharply. “Just because I’ve been having a few beers at night to cut the stress of off wedding planning, doesn’t mean I’m becoming an alcoholic.”

“You are on your way!” Michael suddenly shouts, making Luke jump. “I knew this would happen if you ever found Ashton again! The moment you realized you couldn’t have him back you fell back into the slump you were in ten years ago.”

“I don’t need you to be my mom Michael,” Luke hisses, ignoring the burning feeling of tears threatening to pour from his eyes. He knows Michael has a point, knows that he’s only trying to help. After the day Luke has had, though, it’s the last thing he wants to hear. “Don’t you dare blame Ashton for my life choices, alright?”

“Luke- “

He doesn’t bother to listen to Michael’s response, pressing the end button and ending the phone call. The day has done nothing but drain him off all his energy, and the last thing he needs is to waste more of it arguing with his supposed best friend.

He opens the text from Ashley up again, reading it once more before finally figuring out a response.

_What’s his name?_

*

Luke goes on a date with Jesse the next day, out to lunch. They make easy conversation on the way to the bistro, mostly getting to know each other, but Luke’s bored. It’s not that Jesse isn’t an interesting person; it was just that Luke could easily detect if couples were going somewhere. Hell, that’s why his weddings always were perfect; he could tell if a couple was going to stay together or not, if they were meant to be.

Jesse with him? That definitely wasn’t in the cards.

Lunch is pretty quiet too. While Luke is grateful for a little bit of silence inside of the mess that was his mind, he wouldn’t have been too bothered by a little bit of small talk. Anything that wasn’t on the subject of relationships and friendship would be perfectly fine for him. Hell, he’d even accept talking about his work just so they would have _something_ to talk about.

It’s even worse when Jesse makes a comment on Luke’s decision to have a glass of wine, how it was strange for him to see someone drinking alcohol so early. It reminds Luke far too much of his conversation with Michael, and he’s already turned off by this date as it was.

Jesse must sense Luke’s boredom, because the smile he’d plastered on has now slipped away from his face. He moves his napkin to rest upon his half eaten food and lays a few dollar bills on the table. “I can tell you don’t want to be here,” he says shortly, and Luke feels a little ashamed. “So I have a proposition for you; we can either leave this right here, or we can head to the bathroom and I can blow you. At least leave this date with _something._ ”

The idea of a blowjobs sounds a little appealing, but Luke blames that on how long it’s been since he’s had sex. Instead he shakes his head, smiling apologetically as Jesse stalks off towards the exit, leaving Luke with the bill. He tries not to be too bothered by it.

*

Luke sees Ashton again a few days later at his tux fitting. Bryana had already been fitted for her gown (one that Luke agreed was the most elegant and gorgeous piece of work he’s ever seen on a bride), and was now out of town once more for her last photoshoot before the wedding. The idea of being alone with Ashton scares Luke a bit, mostly because of how well it went last time, but he tells himself to suck it up for Bryana’s sake. He likes the girl, and weirdly enough he feels as if he can become friends with her after this, despite the fact that his feelings for Ashton were beginning to come back. Who knows, maybe the wedding would be the final smack in the head that Ashton wasn’t his anymore.

“These pants go to my _ankles,”_ Ashton complains from his spot in the dressing room, and Luke can only imagine that he’s pouting. “No offense, if it’s some new trend of something, but I’m not going to attend my wedding wearing Capri pants.”

Luke snorts, the image of Ashton standing at the altar wearing Capris making him smile. “I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen, now hurry up and try on the next suit! We don’t have all day.”

“I wish Bryana was here,” Ashton blurts out, and Luke nods. Yeah, he does to. “She’s gone so much; I swear I never even see her anymore with all of these photoshoots coming up.” He opens the door to his dressing room, stepping out in an awfully atrocious yellow suit that has Luke almost gagging at the sight of it. “Do you think that will doom our marriage, her being gone constantly?”

Luke frowns, scrunching his nose up in disgust at Ashton’s suit before pushing him back into the dressing room with a noise of displeasure. “You’ve survived this far with her being gone for her shoots, what has you thinking about it now?”

“I guess I was just thinking about things recently,” Ashton explains, the man grunting as he tugs off the suit and tosses it over the dressing room door. A tailor nearby whisks it away, taking it back towards the rack she got it from. “Mostly about how much I miss having sex.”

Luke _really_ wants to throw up now. He reaches for the water bottle the tailor provided him with and wishes it was vodka. Maybe being a little tipsy could get him through this fitting. “Ash, you used to send me dick pics and try to have Skype sex whenever we were apart for even a weekend. Are you telling me you haven’t tried the same with Bryana?”

Ashton is silent for a while, and Luke wonders if it was wrong to bring up their previous relationship. He was trying to give an example, not make the man uncomfortable.

Ashton steps out of the dressing room once more, this time wearing a more fitting grey suit. It looks wonderful on him, but Luke still doesn’t believe it’s the right one. “It’s not the same,” Ashton pouts, tugging at the collar a bit. “Okay, honestly, fuck this suit it’s itchy.”

“Then try on a different one,” Luke teases him, ruffling Ashton’s hair as the boy lets out one of his infamous giggles, heading back into the dressing rooms. “How long has she been modeling anyway? Shouldn’t you two have figured out what to do about your problem by now?”

Ashton tosses the grey suit over the dressing room door, this time peaking his head over to look at Luke. “She’s only been modeling for two years now, and it wasn’t as demanding back when she first started. Now it’s almost as if everyone wants her to pose for them. I’m not saying it’s a bad thing, that she’s gaining traction in her career, I just miss her when she’s gone, you know?” He settles back into the dressing room, grabbing another suit off of the hanger and slipping it on. “Plus, Bryana isn’t the type to cheat on me. I trust her enough that I know she isn’t.”

Ashton’s trust in his fiancée makes Luke smile. “You wouldn’t cheat on her either. I remember back in high school you telling me about how you couldn’t bear to think about being with someone else other than the person you love. You never liked hurting people’s feelings, you were loyal.”

“I remember that,” Ashton says, opening up the dressing room door and stepping out. “It was after your first boyfriend cheated on you, freshman year, and you came over to my house and cried on my shoulder for an hour.” He shifts awkwardly on his feet, not meeting Luke’s eyes. “That was when we had our first kiss.”

Luke nods, not wanting to get into the details of their past. He gets up from where he’s been sitting and walks towards Ashton, adjusting the tie on the suit he’s now tried on and backs up a little to look at the fit. It’s the best suit they’ve found so far, fitting Ashton perfectly. The sleeves are loose, the middle snug but not constricting. “The pants on this one are actual pants, that’s good.” Luke comments, laughing.

Ashton grins, sticking his hands in the pockets. “That is true, good eye Huke Lemmings.”

Luke moans, covering his face with his hands. “Please do not start calling me that again, you know how I hated when you called me that!”

Ashton only shrugs, adjusting the cuffs on the suit. “Don’t ruin my fun! It’s always fun to see how red you turn when I call you that, it’s cute.” Their eyes meet for a brief moment, and Luke swears that if he didn’t turn away anytime soon, he’d be stepping forward and kissing Ashton with everything in him.

Luckily it’s Ashton that finally tears his gaze away, rubbing the back of his neck and heading back into the dressing room. “So, do you think this suit is the one?”

Luke nods, giving him a thumbs up before the dressing room door closes shut. Luke manages to down the rest of the water bottle quickly, the only thing that could really calm himself down from what had just happened. He hates how Ashton continued to have that power over him, how sickeningly in love Luke still was with him.

“Can I tell you something personal?” Ashton asks him once they’ve finalized everything, walking back to Luke’s car to head back to the office. “You can tell me if I’m giving too much information, but I feel like it’s best I talk about this with you then Bryana?”

“Something wrong?” Luke asks, as they pull out of the parking lot, eyebrow raised.

“Nothing’s wrong,” Ashton assures him, leaning back against the passenger seat and gazing out the window as they pass the boardwalk. A couple of people are out and about, either jogging or walking with their pets. It’s a beautiful day out, Luke doesn’t blame them. “It’s just, I kind of miss blowjobs.”

Luke nearly slams on the brakes as soon as those words leave Ashton’s mouth. That was the _last_ thing he expected to come out of his ex’s mouth, and now the words are swirling around in his head, almost _taunting_ him. Ashton missed giving blowjobs, _he missed them._

“Oh,” Luke spits out, the only words he can manage in his condition. What else is he supposed to say? “Um, might I ask why?”

Ashton shrugs, blushing as he looks down at his lap. “I’ve just been thinking about it lately, that’s all. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with sex with a girl. I like girls, sex with girls is awesome. I guess I just miss blowing guys, and I really shouldn’t. I’m so happy with Bryana, really, really happy.” He shuts his eyes, and Luke wonders what he’s fighting with. His eyebrows are furrowed together in frustration, and Luke wonders if he needs to pull the car over and make sure he’s okay.

Luke thanks every God out there when they finally arrive at his office, creating a good excuse for Luke to leap out of the car. He turns to say his farewell to Ashton, to remind the boy of their upcoming appointment for last minute plans regarding the dress rehearsal, when Ashton is right in front of him, only a few inches away.

“Is it wrong of me,” Ashton breathes out, looking deep into Luke’s ocean blue eyes. “To want something I can’t have, when I have something else that makes me just as happy?”

Luke swallows, knowing he should be scolding Ashton and telling him that he was getting married, to a beautiful, kind girl nonetheless, but all he manages is to lose himself in Ashton’s eyes, and he swears that Ashton is leaning in more and more.

“Yes,” Luke finally says, hands on Ashton’s chest and pushing him away lightly. He can’t let this happen, Ashton isn’t thinking straight. “Ashton, you are getting married. As much as I’ve missed you, and as much as I would love to kiss you – “

“You want to kiss me?” Ashton asks, and he’s acting as if he’s startled by Luke’s words. Strange, considering he was the one leaning in to almost kiss Luke not even a few seconds ago. Maybe Luke was just imagining things, his mind had been all kinds of muddled lately.

There is nothing Luke wants more right now than to press his lips against Ashton’s, to kiss the mouth he’s missed and longed for after ten years of separation, but he _can’t._ There was no way he would hurt Bryana in such a way, someone who had become close to a friend with. The last thing Luke wants is to destroy a perfect couple, one that was going to have a beautiful wedding thanks to him.

“If you weren’t getting married.” Luke states. It’s about time he told the truth. It hurts, it always has hurt.

Ashton nods, and Luke swears he sees a trace of hurt in Ashton’s eyes as well. “I’m sorry I egged you on,” he whispers, and Luke wants to tell him how it’s his fault. “I’ve got to be getting home, Bryana asked me to Skype her if I got a minute. She’ll want to know how my tux fitting went.” He doesn’t bother with a proper goodbye, only walking away towards his own car before Luke can even get a word out.

It’s exactly how he left Luke ten years ago: standing alone on a sidewalk with a broken heart.

*

He calls Ashley later, when he’s dragged himself towards the bar Michael and Calum made him go to a few nights before. He’s already ordered a few drinks, downing them quickly and easily when he dials her number, and tells her what happened.

“I can’t plan the Irwin wedding anymore,” Luke sobs, and fuck when did he start crying? “I fucked up Ashley, I fucked up so badly. I need you to take over for me, give them the greatest wedding they’ve ever seen. Bryana deserves that.” He doesn’t dare mention Ashton, knowing he’d break down even more if he even uttered the man’s name.

Luke doesn’t remember ending the conversation. He remembers demanding the bartender give him more drinks, downing all of them and attempting to drown his sorrows. It makes his chest feel lighter, to have his blood swim in alcohol.

It’s only when he gets home later, collapsing face first onto his couch, that he realizes that maybe Michael was right; Ashton was messing up his life.

Despite this, Luke still wished Ashton would stay in it.

*

Michael stops by his apartment the next morning, holding a cup of coffee and some breakfast. It takes Luke a while to get himself up off of the couch, but the minute he does he gathers Michael into his arms and holds him as tight as he can.

“I’m sorry,” is the first thing that comes out of his mouth. “You were only looking out for me, and I wouldn’t listen to you.”

He feels Michael place a kiss on the top of his head, and the grip Michael has around him begins to tighten. “That’s what best friends are for.” When he finally releases Luke, he’s walking towards the cupboard for some Advil and a glass of water. “Do you want to tell me what exactly happened?”

Luke accepts the glass of water, swallowing down the pill before holding his head in his hands. “He tried to kiss me, at the tux fitting. I almost let him too, I so badly wanted to let him kiss me, but I couldn’t do that to Bryana. I wasn’t about to be a part of something like that, you know?”

Michael nods, taking a drink of his coffee. “Ashley was telling me that you weren’t doing the wedding anymore. I figured it must have been something major to get you to drop a wedding. The Luke Hemmings I know would never let a wedding beat him if it weren’t for a good reason.” He takes away the empty water glass from Luke and places it in the sink, handing Luke his coffee to have a few sips of. “What are you going to do now?”

“I have another wedding I need to focus on,” Luke tells him, humming as the coffee hits his tongue. “Still need to figure out how I can make their damn cake work when the bride is allergic to chocolate and the husband is allergic to gluten. It’s getting pretty difficult to find a bakery that can provide us with a gluten free cake.”

Michael shakes his head in pity. “Poor girl, being allergic to chocolate. That sounds rough.” His words make Luke crack a smile, and pretty soon both of them have burst out laughing. Despite his head throbbing, Luke feels instantly better about everything that has happened. Getting Michael back was definitely what he needed.

A knock on the door comes a little while later, and Michael opts to get it. They pause the video game they were currently playing, with Luke reaching for his coffee cup to get a quick drink before he returns to kicking Michael’s ass.

When Michael returns, he looks nervous, chewing on his lip. “Bryana is here?”

Luke swallows down the burning hot coffee, mostly out of surprise. He splutters for a little bit, making Michael come and slap his back a few times before Luke can finally regain his composure. “Fuck, did she seem angry? Upset?”

Michael only shrugs. “All she told me was that she needed to talk to you. Do you want me to invite her in?”

As much as Luke dreads the conversation that is bound to happen, he nods anyway. Bryana deserves to hear what happened from him, let her know how sorry he really was and that he never meant to hurt anyone. She didn’t deserve to be sad, that was the last thing he needed was for her to be upset.

When she steps into the living room, Luke can tell her eyes are red. The thought of Bryana crying makes Luke’s heart hurt, mostly because he was the reason for it. “I’m sorry,” Luke starts off, trying to find the correct words to say. “Ashley is going to take over the wedding, it’s going to be just as beautiful as I told you it would be.”

Bryana shakes her head. “You don’t need to worry about that, Luke. I called the wedding off last night when I got back.” She wipes at her eyes, careful of the makeup she’s carefully applied.

Luke feels like shit. “Bry, I’m so fucking sorry, I never meant for this to happen.”

The last thing Luke expects is for her to laugh, but she does. It’s strange, for her to laugh through her tears, but Luke guesses it’s better than her being furious. “Don’t be sorry, Luke. I’m just happy Ashton was honest with me about the whole situation. I’m not angry.”

Luke still refuses to believe anything, shaking his head furiously. “I never wanted you to call off you wedding, and I promise I meant what I said when I told you that I felt nothing for Ashton anymore. Please, the two of you belong together, it was wrong of me to get in the way of that.”

“You didn’t get in the way,” Bryana insists, taking Luke’s hands. “You just, well, you made Ashton realize that he made a mistake all those years ago. I don’t blame you for that, I never could.” She’s being so kind, and Luke feels as if he doesn’t deserve her kindness in the slightest. “Ashton has always been an honest person, and I’ll always love that about him.”

Luke kind of wants to punch himself in the face for making Bryana upset. “Bry...”

“He talked about you quite a bit after the cake testing,” Bryana confesses then. “When he talked about you, it was a whole other side of him that I got to see. His eyes sparkled when he said your name, I’ve never seen him talk about me in such a way.” She wipes a few more tears away, Michael handing her a few to make her feel a little better. It’s quiet now, only Bryana’s tears really being heard. Luke still feels incredibly awful about the whole situation, and he wishes he could go back in time, maybe fix things.

“I guess I should be leaving,” Bryana sighs, getting up off of the couch. “I’m not sure how to cancel everything, payments and stuff…”

“I can handle it,” Luke promises her. “The least I could do is take care of everything I messed up in the first place.”

Bryana shakes her head, gathering Luke into a hug. “None of this is your fault, Luke.” She gives him a friendly peck on the cheek, offering him one last smile before she heads towards the door. “Luke? Can you promise me at least one thing?”

“Of course,” Luke tells her. “Anything.”

A soft, quiet laugh leaves her lips. “Make sure Ashton never lets you go again, alright?” She’s gone before Luke can really give her an answer, but Luke doesn’t think he needed to. She knew what he would say.

“I’m going to head back home,” Michael tells him, picking up his jacket from the back of the couch. “After all that, I think I need to go tell Calum how much I love him and how much I’d kick his ass if one of his exes came back and tried to win him back.” His tone is joking, a grin obvious on his face and Luke would be lying if he said it didn’t make him smile too.

Once Michael has left, Luke falls back onto the couch and rests his eyes a little. After his nap, he was going to start over. Nothing was going to distract him from the only wedding he had left to plan. If he had to, he was going to clean his fridge out of all the beer just so he could get his mind back into focus.

Yeah, starting over seemed good.

*

Despite neglecting the other wedding he was supposed to be planning for a good amount of time, he feels like it’s gone off without a hitch.

The bride is a blubbering mess as she thanks Luke over and over again for making her dream come true, her husband only offering a thankful smile as he kisses her temple to calm her down. This was what Luke was used to: blubbering brides and husbands who only offer a small thank you. It’s then that Luke tells them that it was his pleasure, and then allows them to enjoy the reception.

He’s drinking soda this time, forcing himself to avoid the alcohol that has been provided at the open bar he remembers booking. He wants to say he’s doing it for Michael, but if he’s being honest, he’s doing this for himself. It’s been a while since he’s ever done anything for himself and now, he’s finally going to just that.

Ashley joins him a little while later, herself drinking water. She insists it’s because she doesn’t want to tempt Luke into drinking again, and Luke couldn’t help but appreciate that. “Another perfect wedding Hemmings,” she toasts, clicking her water glass against Luke’s soda cup. “Can’t believe we have a month off now. What the hell are we supposed to do with our time?”

“You deserve a vacation, for one,” Luke tells her, kicking his feet up to rest against the ottoman set up along the porch. “You’ve been kicking ass for me while I’ve been gone, you deserve it. Go somewhere warm, frolic around the beach. Hell, find yourself a cute boy or girl to bring home.”

Ashley cheers to that, and the two of them laugh. The music in the background has changed from an upbeat dance song to something a bit slower, and Luke begins to relax. Well, until Ashley starts speaking once more. “Have you, um, spoken to Ashton at all? Since the wedding has been called off and all?”

Luke wishes he could say he has. There have been many times where he’s picked up the phone, telling himself that he’s going to call Ashton and apologize for everything; ruining his chance at happiness, ruining his wedding, and just generally fucking everything up. Every single time, though, Luke just shook his head and ended up not doing a thing.

“I don’t know what to say to him,” Luke tells her, swirling the soda in his cup around. “There are so many things I want to tell him, so many things to apologize for. It’s a matter of what words to use that is stopping me I guess.”

Ashley offers him a look of pity; a look Luke has grown used to over the past few days. “I’m sure you’ll find the words to say soon. For now, just think about yourself. You have an entire month off where there are no weddings, nothing. Maybe you should take your own advice and go on vacation, find a really cute lifeguard or something.” She kisses his cheek, no doubt leaving behind a dark red print, before she ventures off back to the dancefloor.

It’s after she’s out of sight that Luke pulls out his phone, dialing a number he’s been needing to dial for some time.

“Hey,” he says into the receiver, keeping his voice steady. “Do you mind meeting me at that Bistro near the beach? Tomorrow maybe?”

*

It’s around eleven when Luke arrives at the Bistro from their first official meeting, dressed casually and shaking with nerves. He’s been telling himself not to be, that it was just a casual meeting, but that didn’t stop his hands from shaking and sweating.

Bryana is sitting at the balcony, and she doesn’t look at much of a mess Luke had pictured. She actually looks healthy, happy. Luke supposes that was better than what he had previously assumed, so he doesn’t bother with complaining.

“I’m surprised you came,” Luke tells her honestly, nearly startling her from where she had been skimming through her phone. “I wasn’t sure if you would even want to see me again, after the mess I created.”

“I thought about not coming,” Bryana admits, though there is no malice in her voice. “Most people wouldn’t bother with meeting up with someone who prevented their wedding from happening. Then again, I knew it wasn’t entirely your fault.” She smiles at him, as friendly and dazzling as she had when they first met. “Besides, I’ve never been one to hold a grudge.”

“I figured you wouldn’t want to come because I’m all torn up about your ex,” Luke tells her, adjusting the napkin in front of him. “Well, he’s my ex too, but you get the idea.”

Bryana laughs at him, looking down at her menu as she speaks. “That’s actually one of the reasons I decided to come anyway. That, and I spoke with Ashton the other night. He, well, it was the first time I’ve spoken to him since the break-up. I had gone over to his place to gather up the rest of my things only to find him looking completely wrecked. A part of me had hoped it was about me, but I knew it wasn’t.

“Anyhow, I made him sit down and talk about what had him so miserable, and he told me about you. While we did have a discussion before about the two of you and your previous relationship, this time he was, well, more truthful? He spoke with so much love in his voice, about these little things about you that he loved.” She tucks a piece of blonde hair behind her ear, and she doesn’t appear sad. She appears hopeful. “That boy is so in love with you it’s tearing him apart. By the looks of you, it seems as if the two of you have something in common.”

As strange as it was, Luke liked hearing that Ashton was torn up about him. It almost felt like karma was coming back at him, for all those years ago when he messed up Luke spectacularly when they broke up. It also makes Luke’s heart fall apart at the fact Ashton was so upset. If Luke hadn’t come back into his life, he would be happily married.

A waiter comes by, and Bryana orders both of them tea. Luke doesn’t bother to argue. “Bry, it wouldn’t feel right getting back together with him. I’d feel completely guilty the entire time, over the fact that he was so happy with you and I screwed that all up.”

Bryana scoffs. “How many times must I tell you that I’m alright? I had a good cry, I got over it. I’ll always have a place in my heart for Ashton, but it’s clear as day that at the end he wasn’t the one for me. The one he was supposed to be with he accidentally let go of ten years before.” She reaches forward, taking Luke’s hand in hers and squeezes gently. “Now, what broke the two of you up before? I’m finding it hard to picture what could have possibly separated the two of you.”

“School,” Luke sighs, taking a sip of his tea. “After graduation, we had an entire summer together, hoping that at the end, it wouldn’t be the end. He was going to a school around here, I was attending school clear across the country. I wanted to stay together, he figured distance wouldn’t work for us.”

Bryana hums. “What’s stopping you now? And don’t you fucking dare say that it’s me because I swear I’ll kick you in the shins.”

Luke chuckles at the thought of Bryana being violent, because it didn’t seem right. “What if we end up exactly how we did ten years ago? I can’t handle handing my heart to him again only for it to be left out on the pavement all broken.”

“You won’t know if you don’t try,” Bryana tells him, and Luke doesn’t quite have a response to that. “Give it a night, think it over. I promise when you wake up tomorrow, you’ll have an answer.”

*

Luke’s answer comes in the form of a loud knocking on the door the next morning, rousing him from his sleep and leaving him a little groggy. He can’t think of anyone who could possibly be visiting him this early in the morning, and he knows Michael knows better than to wake him up when he has days off. Hell, he doubts Michael is even awake at this time.

He manages to pull a shirt on over his head before he heads for the door. Whoever it was on the other side would just have to deal with the fact that Luke was in his underwear, because what else would they expect when they arrive at someone’s apartment at _seven in the morning._

When the door opens, Ashton is standing there. He looks restless, eyes rimmed red and looking positively exhausted. His hair is tousled slightly, Luke assuming from tossing and turning all night. His outfit is a bit haphazard, with a ripped band shirt from a band Luke remembers from high school and plaid pajama bottoms. It takes everything in Luke not to laugh at Ashton’s Chewbacca slippers, but that’s mostly because he’s too much in shock that Ashton was _here._

Luke can’t even think of what to say to Ashton at the moment either. He’s torn between a friendly ‘come in!’ or maybe ‘did Bryana send you?’ or, what his heart is begging him to say, ‘I was hoping you’d come.’ Of course, Luke says none of these things, leaving him at the door with his mouth open and gaping like a damn fish.

Ashton doesn’t bother waiting for Luke to finally speak up, instead placing his hands on Luke’s shoulders and moving him backwards. His foot kicks the door close as he continues to move Luke on his own, pushing him back until Luke’s back rests against the closet door that faces the front door of his apartment. Ashton made sure to avoid the door knob on the closet, which Luke is grateful for, because the last thing Luke wants at that moment is for his spine to make contact with the damn thing and ruin the moment.

Their faces are so, _so close,_ that Luke can smell mint toothpaste in Ashton’s breath. It almost makes him laugh, that Ashton at least took the time to brush his teeth before he came over. He can count the freckles that are spread about on Ashton’s nose, and he wonders if he’d be too forward to lean in and kiss each and every one.

It’s then that Ashton’s hands reach up, cupping Luke’s face delicately. His hands are gentle, kind, but before Luke can ask just exactly what Ashton is thinking about, his lips have been slotted ever so perfectly against Ashton’s for the first time in ten years.

Luke has thought about this moment for ages; the chance to kiss Ashton again, the longing in his chest fading away into nothingness as Ashton’s soft, gentle lips met Luke’s once more. He pictured that goosebumps would rise on his skin from the sparks Ashton always managed to send through him. If he was being honest, the imaginary picture he had in his mind of this moment was absolutely _nothing_ like the real thing. The real thing was even more spectacular, and when Luke reaches his hand up to tangle itself into the wavy curls of Ashton’s hair, he has a chance to hear Ashton release the most beautiful sounding moan.

 _That_ was something Luke has missed.

Ashton begins to pull back, and Luke can’t help but chase after his lips and pressing one last, quick peck to his lips before the two of them burst out laughing. “You know,” Ashton giggles, hands still holding Luke’s face. “I had a whole damn speech planned out about how I couldn’t stop thinking about you, something that I swear to god would sound like it came out of a god damn romantic comedy, but then I saw you standing there in your underwear, all messy and _adorable,_ I, um, kind of just had to kiss you.”

Ashton was still the biggest dork Luke remembered, and it’s comforting that he hasn’t changed. “I’m not exactly complaining,” Luke tells him, resting his hands on Ashton’s hips. “I was planning on seeing you today, I was going to ask you for another chance at this, but it looks like I don’t have to?”

Another breathless laugh releases from Ashton’s lips, and Luke leans forward to rest their foreheads together. “I wanted to come to you after the wedding had been called off. My head was such a mess then though, and I was sure that you were blaming yourself for everything. You always took the blame for my mistakes, and I had been hoping that you weren’t blaming yourself for this mistake.” He pauses, looking into Luke’s deep, deep blue eyes before continuing, “Then I realized, maybe this wasn’t a mistake. I realized that while I love Bryana, it was more like a friend kind of love. I couldn’t fully give her my heart. It took seeing you again, all grown up and still so, so beautiful for me to realize that I’ve been in love with you for ten years. There was never anyone else.”

Luke lets out a gasp, and he’s happy, _so, so happy._ “Fuck, I’m in love with you too, okay? I love you too.”

They kiss again, but this time it’s Luke that breaks apart from him. He rests his hands gently against Ashton’s chest, mostly trying to catch his breath, but also because there was more to this reunion aside from passionate kisses. (Though Luke wants to return to that, because he definitely missed those lips.)

“We should probably talk a bit more,” Luke regrets to say, but he knows they need to. “As much as I have missed kissing you, we should talk about this.”

Ashton pouts at him, and it’s so adorable that Luke considers for a moment changing his mind. Of course, he’s not going to let Ashton overpower him this time, and he laughs before kissing the pout away. “Fine,” Ashton says, arms wrapped around Luke’s waist. “Where should we talk?”

Luke almost tells him the bedroom, but that’s the last place they need to be. Luke knows the minute his bedroom door closes the last thing they would be doing is talking. “I was thinking of cooking up some pancakes. I can make you some.”

Ashton nods, unwrapping himself from Luke. “Can you make them with blueberries, with maybe your homemade syrup you used to make?” He sounds so innocent and childlike then, almost making Luke wonder if they’ve gone back to their high school personas. It makes his heart ache a little, but also warm.

“Of course,” Luke tells him, getting out the necessary ingredients and starting up the stove for the pan. He turns back to Ashton, resting himself back against the counter and crossing his arms. “Ten years and you still remember that I made that homemade syrup. Have I really been on your mind that much these past few years?” He means it jokingly, but the look on Ashton’s face has become serious.

“You were all I could think about,” Ashton answers honestly. “The moment I left you there, standing in front of your parents’ house like a complete _asshole,_ I wanted to turn back around and tell you that I wasn’t going anywhere. I wanted to just hold you in my arms and promise you that we would never be apart.” Luke can see something sparkling in Ashton’s eyes, and he hates to think he’s crying. “I couldn’t. I knew you would be angry with me for breaking up with you instead of giving long distance a shot. I figured it would be best for the both of us to just be apart and learn to live without each other.”

“It was hard,” Luke tells him, and Ashton finally looks up at him with a single tear spilling onto his cheek. “Being without that first year? I had grown so used to having you by my side for so long that I couldn’t handle it. Michael would constantly be at my side to make sure I was moving on with my life, but the truth was that I wasn’t. After all, my whole life had broken up with me and moved to California.” He begins to start on the syrup, keeping his back towards Ashton as he cooks. “After graduation, I was tasked to help my mom with this wedding that her friend was doing. I ended up becoming incredibly interested in the business and, well, California was good for it.”

Ashton smiles at him, his dimples making an appearance. “You are good at it, you know. Bryana made me look through your photo gallery on your website of other weddings you’ve done. You have a knack for that kind of thing, I was impressed that the boy I dated in high school who didn’t know the difference between white and champagne became a highly sought out wedding planner.”

Luke grins, turning down the temperature on the stove. “Glad I can still surprise you after all these years,” he says before turning himself around, walking towards Ashton and straddling the boy’s lap. “I’m sorry for ruining your wedding though.”

Ashton sighs, hands holding Luke’s hips. “If anyone is really at fault, it’s me. Of course, I loved Bryana. Just, you were my high school sweetheart. My first love for Christ’s sake. A part of me was always going to love you no matter what, but I never anticipated just how much.” He rests his forehead against Luke’s once more, allowing Luke to take in the gorgeous hazel of Ashton’s eyes.

“You could have made her so happy.” Luke mumbles.

Ashton doesn’t seem to like Luke’s self-depreciating attitude, raising his finger up to lift Luke’s chin up and kiss his nose. “I want to make you happy. Can I at least try that?”

Luke wasn’t about to argue with that, especially with the way his heart was drumming against his chest so eagerly. With another wide smile, Luke grabs Ashton’s face and kisses him with everything in him, careful not to tip the chair where Ashton was currently sitting in over.

Ashton smacks the small of Luke’s back, and Luke groans as he pulls back and looks at him. “I’m still hungry,” Ashton pouts, a small hint of a smile threatening to appear. “How about we finish up these pancakes, and then maybe we can go back to kissing?”

“But I like kissing.”

“So do I, but I also like your pancakes.”

Deciding that Ashton wins this round, Luke kisses his lips once more before getting up off of the boy’s lap and heading back towards the stove to start up their breakfast. He swears the grin on his face was never going to disappear at this rate, not that he’d want it to anyway. Ashton had always made him incredibly happy, and now that he had his boy back in his arms, Luke swears he was never going to let go again.

*

It amazes Luke, really, when two years have officially passed since he got Ashton back. He’s grateful that he got another chance with the love of his life, to hold him once more and be able to wake up to him again. While Luke was quite sure he didn’t miss Ashton’s disgusting morning breath, it was still nice to wake up and see the peacefulness on Ashton’s face as he still remained in dreamland.

This particular morning, though, Luke didn’t have time to watch his boyfriend’s face. They were due to meet Michael and Calum soon at their home for a little get together brunch, and Luke was not one to want to be late.

Leaning forward, Luke presses a gentle kiss to Ashton’s forehead, watching as his eyes flutter open gently. The minute hazel meets blue is when Ashton grins sleepily, leaning forward and pressing his lips to Luke’s. “Morning,” he whispers, and Luke scrunches his nose up playfully. “I know you are doing that because of my breath but it’s actually really cute.”

Luke blushes, curling into Ashton and kissing his jaw. “Not supposed to be cute,” he protests, but it’s a weak one. “We need to get out of this bed, though. Michael will kill me if we are late for their anniversary brunch.”

Ashton rolls his eyes, wrapping his arms rightly around Luke and kissing his hair. “What if we tell them that we were having trouble sleeping in our new apartment? I’m sure they would understand if we explain that to them.”

“Considering we moved in here a month ago, I doubt argument would suffice,” Luke laughs, kissing Ashton’s shoulder before wriggling out of his grasp and heading towards their bathroom. “When I get back you better at least be dressed or something. I can promise you that if I come out of this bathroom and you are asleep I will leave without you!”

He’s vanished into the bathroom before he can hear Ashton properly respond, but he can hear the sound of the covers being torn off so he assumes his boyfriend is getting ready. For now, Luke focuses on brushing his teeth and preparing himself for the anniversary brunch his friends insisted on having. It was just going to be the four of them together, Michael insisting that he wouldn’t want anyone else around them on their anniversary. Luke found it a little endearing.

When he exits the bathroom, he frowns when he sees that Ashton is only sitting up on the bed, still in his pajamas. “Babe, I was being serious you really need to get ready.”

“I know,” Ashton tells him, fiddling with something in his hands. Luke can’t quite catch what it was exactly, but by the look on Ashton’s face, it was making him nervous. “I need to do something before I get ready though, but I was waiting for you.”

Luke raises an eyebrow. “What exactly do you need me for? I’m pretty sure you can manage to find a pair of short and a shirt without my help babe.” He chuckles at his own joke, but it gets caught in his throat the minute he sees Ashton getting down on one knee, a white gold band between his index finger and thumb.

“Lucas Robert,” Ashton begins, eyes sparkling with so much _love._ “Well, we’ve been through quite a lot now haven’t we? I’d say we’ve been through hell and back, but honestly? I would _gladly_ take that ride over and over again if it meant ending up in your arms at the end of the day. We managed to survive ten years apart from each other, and found each other once more at the end of it all. So, will you marry me?”

Luke doesn’t give him an answer. Instead, he nods his head and allows Ashton to get up before Luke tackles him back onto their bed, kissing him deeply as they laugh. He can feel Ashton sliding the ring onto his finger gently before going back to paying close attention to Luke’s lips.

“Hey,” Luke says, interrupting their small make out session. “Do you know what’s really great about this?” Ashton raises an eyebrow, arms still wrapped around Luke’s neck and awaiting an answer.

Luke only grins at his fiancé, _fiancé,_ and whispers, “I know a _great_ wedding planner.”

**Author's Note:**

> come find me on tumblr at [lucasashtons](lucasashtons.tumblr.com)


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